Climbing Mountains, Crossing Lochs
by Steel-Winged Pegasus
Summary: My first songfic, so I'm not sure if I did it right. This is a closer look at the Dark Chocolate Highlands, from the mountains to the lochs and to one of the races that go on. UPDATE: Lyrics removed


**A/N: After reading a few of them, I decided to write one! This is my first songfic, so it's a little long. Words that line up with the lyrics are underlined. The song is Touch the Sky from the OST of Pixar's movie Brave. I don't own the song or Wreck-It Ralph!**

The racers drove around the track of the Dark Chocolate Highlands, swerving around the turns and their hair whipping in the brisk breeze. The sun hung low, a bright and cloudless day in the Highlands as always. Vanellope especially whooped out in excitement, Ebony following closely.

"Hey, I think I'm getting better on this track, King!" shouted Vanellope, glancing back just a little bit to see her competition.

The mountains loomed high and mighty, ice-capped by white chocolate year-round. The crisp air is an amazing pleasure to breathe in. Not to mention that the light leaked in between the peaks, covering the mountains in a nice golden or amber glow. If they weren't racing, Vanellope, Ivory, and Ebony would be so excited to explore the mountains of this part of the game. It felt as if they were calling the racers over, just to take a glimpse of the sight from up there!

"Amazing sight, huh?" asked the Viking racer, smiling widely. "I'm a Highlander and I'm proud of that! I'll always be one and there isn't no one to change that!" Ebony whooped, trailing off into laughter. It was a proud type of laughter, one that oozes of pure happiness and joy.

This was the last race of the day before the arcade closed, but that made this race the most exciting! They were closing in on the big chasm where a gust of wind was programmed to carry them over to the other side. Since Vanellope wasn't chosen by the player, she could just relax and let the wind carry her. Ebony was still close by, Taffyta trying to edge into second place. She smirked, relaxing a bit as soon as her kart left solid ground. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, she held her arm above her head like she was reaching out to touch the sky.

They're halfway through the race now, but Ebony and Vanellope felt like they could just chase the wind. With the tailwind, it certainly seemed that they were. They also felt that they were flying: just something about this track is very endearing and whimsical compared to the usual tracks in Sugar Rush. Is it the air of mystery and legends surrounding the region? Is it the radically different environment that's a nice refresher? Aye, no one knew why at the time, but the fact remained that the Dark Chocolate Highlands was a popular track among players.

"Whoa! We're almost at the finish line! Think you can still finish strong, King?!" the President laughed, half-expecting a upset from Taffyta and whisking Ebony's second-place position away at the last second.

Taffyta focused, taking a deep breath. "Don't think Ebony's gonna win! I sure hope she stays sweet after this!" she laughed, speeding up and cutting Ebony off.

It was now after hours; Vanellope won the race, Taffyta in second and Ebony in a very close third to her. It was just the four of them now, gazing at the starry skies. Ebony and Ivory showed them around the more obscure parts of the region, even a small forest that hides wonders that not even they know.

"Who knows what these dark woods hide, don't you agree?" asked Ivory, looking at the forest in curiosity.

"I know that one day, Ivory and I are gonna plan a short trip to there and dig up all sorts of stuff!" exclaimed Ebony, stepping up on a rock-like piece of dark chocolate and raising her arm as if she were holding a sword.

"Hope ya don't get eaten alive by whatever's in there!" Taffyta commented, holding in giggles.

"Pffft! They'll be alright, Taffy! Remember when we came here for dinner and saw the sheer force of the sledgehammer used to break the block of dark chocolate into pieces?" the young leader reassured, patting the pink racer on the back and smiling widely.

Taffyta smirked a bit, trusting Vanellope on it. "Alright, Ms. President," replied lollipop-eating girl.

The twins looked at each other and got an idea, smiling widely. "Hey, guys! We got something amazing to show ya," Ivory nodded as beckoned the two over.

"Yeah! I think you two will love it! But...you two have to trust us, alright? We won't let you fall," assured the Viking girl. So off they went to the mountains. Indeed, the mountains were fierce and bold, so it took some encouragement from the twins to climb the rugged mountain.

It took a while, but the four eventually made it. The sight was a breathtaking experience, though; even though it's not the highest or longest of mountain ranges in the game, it certainly has an atmosphere unique to it.

"This is crazy! You can see everything in the Highlands from here!" exclaimed the excitable President, taking the sight in.

"Alright, guys, be careful going down, okay? You've heard of the pristine cream soda loch we told ya about once or twice, right?" Ivory asked, hopping down from rock to rock like a mountain goat.

"Heck yeah, I remember! Never actually got to see it, though," Vanellope sighed, shaking her head.

"Well, why else are we showing you two the loch?" laughed Ebony, dragging the two along. The Cream Soda Loch wasn't that far away, so they took their time to admire the environment. "Can't ya smell the sweet scent of the cream soda?"

The two girls nodded, taking in a refreshing deep breath. The twins took them down to shore, where a small dinghy was. "Huh? Why's that little boat over there?' Taffyta asked, pointing at it.

"Sometimes, we Highlanders like to go out and see the fish that reside in the loch," Ivory explained, helping Ebony push the dinghy into the soda. "Wanna see for yourself?"

Vanellope happily hopped in, waiting for the pink racer to go in. "C'mon, Taffyta, it'll be fun! Or do I have to pull ya in myself?"

"Fine, fine," smirked the racer, hopping into the seat next to her.

Ivory pushed off, Ebony looking into the soda's reflection. "They say that you can hear stories of times lost long ago these waters hold. I wanna hear their stories and take hold of my own dream," the Viking twin stated, still looking deeply into the soda loch.

"And what dream is that?" inquired Van, looking along with Ebony.

"To be an amazing racer and the best representative for the Highlanders I can be," Ebony replied, smiling brightly.

"Ebony... You already _are_ a great racer, one of the best we've seen, really," admitted Taffyta.

There were still some exciting things left to see, so the twins splashed the soda around in hopes to get the gummy fish riled up. "Biggest Swedish Fish you'll see in Sugar Rush. I personally landed a big 30-pounder once!" boasted Ivory.

"No way," Van countered playfully, also in some disbelief at that.

"Aye. You have to be as strong as the seas. It's a battle of wills when you hook onto a big one, and the only way to win it is to stand your ground and let your pride of your heritage lead you to victory!" confirmed Ebony, smiling at the memory.

"I swear, you two are crazy," Taffyta quipped, laughing a bit.

"No, we're just as proud as an eagle's scream," corrected the two, smiling proudly.

The wind picked up a bit, making the night a little chillier than usual. The moon shone brightly on the loch, giving it an amber glow. It looked ethereal and mysterious, as if some spirit will manifest at the spot where the moon shone. It was getting late, so the twins said goodnight and goodbye to the two and let them drive off. It may be just the late night or whatever, but the karts gave off the vibe of a few horses galloping off, looking like the racers were chasing the wind again.

Such was how the Dark Chocolate Highlands felt. One could feel so free and full of spirit, driving along the track or seeing the view from the mountains or visiting the candy people of the region. From the mountains to the loch, one could touch the sky and chase the wind.


End file.
